


Incriminating Photographs

by mainstreamqueen



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Luke, Love, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Photos, Prison, Ralvez - Freeform, Reidvez - Freeform, Sad, Secret Relationship, Stalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 22:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11793177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mainstreamqueen/pseuds/mainstreamqueen
Summary: With Spencer in prison, a parcel of photographs arrives at the BAU and reveals a secret that Spencer wanted to keep hidden. Penelope comforts Luke.





	Incriminating Photographs

“Three hours left, JJ.” Luke teased, a smirk spreading across his face.

 

JJ looked up from her reports and smiled at her colleague. “Was I that obvious?”

 

“You keep tapping your pen on the desk and I can’t be sure but I swear you’re humming a Beyoncé song. What’s got you so excited?”

 

She gathered her long blonde hair up into a ponytail as she started to tell Luke about her plans.

 

“I’m gonna take the boys to the zoo tomorrow. Henry got tasked with a report on Hippos and he asked…” She took in a shaky breath. “Oh Luke, he asked if Uncle Spencer could help him and I had to remind him that Spencer’s still in prison. The look on his face, he was crushed.”

 

“He’ll be out soon,” Luke said, reaching his hand across the desk to take her hand. “I promise.”

 

“I know, we’re gonna get him out; that’s what I told Henry, “ JJ said, running one finger along her bottom lashes to move the fallen tears without ruining her mascara. “So, what are your plans?”

 

He let go of her hand and leaned back in his chair, taking hold of the Saint Sebastian pendant around his neck and twirling it between his fingers. “I’m just gonna take Roxy for a nice long run and then drink until I pass out.”

 

“Are you on Spring Break?” JJ teased.

 

“Careful, you two,” warned Emily, as she walked down the stairs to pass them some files. “Talking about weekend plans at work is the surest way to ensure that we get called out on a case.”

 

Luke laughed and blamed JJ for starting it, when the relative calm of their afternoon was interrupted by a visibly upset Penelope Garcia walking into the bullpen, clutching a large envelope to her chest.

 

“Are you okay, Penelope?” JJ asked.

 

“Yes…I mean no…I mean… someone sent Reid a package and I don’t know what to do with it.” She adjusted her glasses. “Like I’d say we should give it to him but it arrived here- not at his home- so it might be government business but on the other hand,  he’s been in prison for two months so who’s sending him stuff here?”

 

“Okay, calm down.” Emily leaned in to take the envelope from Penelope. “Well, it’s addressed to Reid, care of the BAU…” She picked a ruler off of Luke’s desk and used it to open the package.

 

“Opening someone else’s mail is a felony, Emily.” JJ joked.

 

“Uh huh… you going to arrest me then?”

 

Emily stuck her hand inside to take out the contents of the package; several dozen Polaroid photos. When the handful that Emily pulled out were all of Spencer, she emptied the envelope onto Luke’s desk.

 

“Who’s been taking photos of Reid?” JJ asked, picking up one of the photos of Spencer outside a supermarket.

 

“You think it’s Scratch?” Luke asked, picking up a photo of Spencer getting off the train.

 

“Maybe… let’s go to the Conference Room,” Emily said. “JJ can you call a tech to dust these photos for prints?”

 

JJ nodded, looking up the correct extension code on her computer.

 

“And Penelope, can you take pictures so that the team can examine them while the originals are being dusted?”

 

“You only have to wish it, my queen,” she said pulling out her phone and snapping pictures on the photos.

 

“Okay, let’s go round up the rest of the team,” Emily said, gesturing to Luke.

 

“Oh, holy cheese balls; what the hell is this?” Penelope leaned in to grab one of the photographs.

 

“Fingerprints Penelope,” Emily warned.

 

“I’m sorry Emily, but Spencer… he’s making out with someone… It’s so weird to think about Spencer making out.”

 

Emily leaned in to snatch the photo from Penelope’s perfectly manicured hands. “He’s making out with a guy. This must be just before he got arrested. He’s wearing the sweater that Morgan sent him for Christmas.”

 

“I think this might be an invasion of privacy guys…” Luke warned, trying to find another photo to distract them.

 

“What? I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.” JJ said over him. “Can you see who?”

 

“No, but Rossi owes me $20,” Emily said. “Are there other photos?”

 

“Wait, you bet on Reid being gay?” Luke asked, cocking an eyebrow at his unit chief.

 

“I bet that he’d gotten laid because he was marginally less stressed than normal at the time…” She placed the photo down and tried to find another one featuring the mystery man. “And given how stressed we know that he actually was at the time, whoever he was sleeping with must have been _damn_ good.”

 

“That’s inappropriate,” Luke said, raising his hands to cover his face, trying to block out Emily’s comment.

 

She frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Spencer’s bisexual and if you have a problem with that, then we don’t want to hear it.”

 

“Emily- don’t out Spencer,” Penelope said, taking hold of her friend’s blazer.

 

“The photograph outed him.”

 

Luke sighed. “I don’t have a problem with Spencer’s sexuality. Look, let’s just ignore the photos of Spencer and this guy…”

 

 

“We can’t,” Emily said. “This guy could be in danger. We don’t know who Scratch might target.”

 

“Oh…” JJ said as she pulled a photo close to her chest.

 

Her team members turned to her; she’d been attempting to organise the photos by putting all of the ones from the same place and time together.

 

“What?” Emily asked.

 

JJ hesitated, before handing the photo face side down to Luke.

 

He took one look at it before passing it to Emily.

 

“I’m really sorry,” he said, casting his eyes downward.

 

Emily turned it over to see the figures of Spencer and Luke. The picture looked like it had been taken just a few minutes after the kissing photo, with Luke’s arm around Spencer’s waist.

 

“Oh, Luke… You should’ve told us.” JJ said, reaching a hand across the desk to him.

 

Luke shrugged and pulled his hand away to fiddle with his pendant again. “Spencer wanted to keep it private, you know?”

 

“Yes of course; that does put you in a predicament.” Emily agreed, gathering the rest of the photos together.

 

“It’s not like he wanted to hide it from you guys; we just hadn’t been going out that long.”

 

“It’s okay Luke,” Emily said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But I’m afraid the rest of the team do need to know. There’s a chance that Scratch could come after you as well.”

 

Luke looked up and nodded.

 

“Okay. JJ, can you get a tech to dust the pictures and Penelope, can you gather the others to the conference room as you’ve finished taking the photos?”

 

Both ladies nodded and set about their tasks, but Emily hesitated by Luke’s desk.

 

“Luke...”

 

“Yeah, Emily?”

 

“What I said before about the person Spencer was sleeping with being good in bed…that was inappropriate.”

 

A grin spread across Luke’s face. “It’s okay Emily, it’s not unwarranted.”

 

She choked back a laugh. “Luke Alvez!” she scolded.

 

He nodded, smiling slightly before gathering up the other files relating to Scratch and Spencer that he had on his desk.

 

“Seriously though Luke, if you need some time off, you can take it… or if you want to stay in DC when we’re out on cases, then you can.”

 

“Thanks Emily, but I don’t know how much time off will help and as much as I’d love to stay here and see Spencer, I’m not sure that… I mean, he’d probably just tell me to go and do my job.”

 

“But still, maybe go see him today. Walker won’t mind giving up his spot.”

 

Luke nodded and Emily told him that she’d meet him in the conference room after she made a couple of calls.

 

When Luke arrived in the conference room, Penelope was the only one there. She was busy uploading the cell phone pictures she’d taken of the photos so that she could display them on the screen.

 

“Where are the others?” He asked.

 

The blonde didn’t look up from her task. “Walker and Rossi are on their way; Tara’s consulting for another department at the moment but she said that she’ll be here asap.”

 

“Do you need any help with that?” He offered.

 

“No, thank you,” she said. “It’s an upload; you can’t make it go any faster.”

 

Luke frowned at the floor, thinking that he should probably just go get the coffee machine started, but then he saw a tear roll down her cheek.

 

“Are you okay Penelope?”

 

“No.” She squeaked, trying to wipe away her tears. “I can’t work out if I’m more angry at you for concealing your relationship with Spencer or more sad that you’ve been going through this alone.”

 

Luke frowned and sat down beside her, pulling her into a hug and she buried her face into the shoulder of his black t-shirt.

 

“You shouldn’t have to hug me; I should be hugging you. You’re the one who’s sad.” She mumbled into the soft material. “I can’t believe you’ve been so together through this; when the rest of us having been breaking down.”

 

“Didn’t want to break my promised to Spencer,” Luke said, as he stroked her hair, refusing to break the hug; although Penelope certainly wasn’t pulling away.

 

“I’m sorry that you haven’t been able to see him; I should have put you at the top.”

 

“You didn’t know,” he assured her.

 

She pulled back and reached down to grab her bright green handbag to find some tissues. After finding them, she dabbed softly at her eyes. “You could go today; Walker won’t mind.”

 

Luke smiled at her. “I’m gonna ask him, but I don’t know that Spencer wants me there.”

 

“Don’t say that Luke,” she said. “Maybe that’s why he’s been so down- he didn’t even smile when I saw him last.”

 

“I think it’s more the whole wrongfully imprisoned thing.”

 

“If I was in prison and I didn’t see Sam, it would be way worse.” She said. “You’re gonna get your butt down to that prison today and if the warden won’t let you in, I’ll kick him with my kitten heels.”

 

Luke laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Thanks, Penelope.”

 

“We’re gonna get him out; even if I have to hack the prison system and tag Spencer for release.”

 

“We’ll call that Plan B,” Luke said, looking at the picture of Spencer coming out of Luke’s apartment building. “I should probably tell him about this.”

 

“Tell him that we love him,” Penelope said, leaning into Luke’s embrace. “And that we’re going to get him out.”

 

“I will,” Luke said. “I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave love if you liked it :)


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